Nemo, this is the rarest of all bisque character sets. Its conservative opening bid is $7,500.

A second featured collection in Auction #210 contains a premier 40-year assemblage of political Americana. The Julie Powell collection includes pin-back buttons, textiles and three-dimensional memorabilia in its many forms. One of the most significant items in the collection is a 26 by 60.5 inch Henry Clay “coattail” flag in which the 1844 presidential candidate’s name appears above his vice-presidential running mate (Theodore) Frelinghuysen and Delaware’s Whig candidates for governor and U.S Congress. The flag is so rare, it does not appear in any of Hake’s Presidential Campaign item guides or the respected reference “Threads of History.” It is offered with a starting bid of $15,000.

Another standout piece from the Powell collection is a circa-1848 lithophane portrait of Zachary Taylor with its original ornate frame and stand. The image and background are incised on porcelain and appear white until the portrait is back-lit to reveal an outstanding, well-detailed portrait. Among the most highly prized of all pre-1896 political display items, Lot 19 will open for bidding at $3,000.

Action Comics #309, cover dated February 1964, is known for its storyline that intertwines Superman’s colleagues and friends, several superheroes, and President John F. Kennedy disguised as Clark Kent. Although cover-dated February 1964, the issue arrived on newsstands only a week after Kennedy’s Nov. 22, 1963 assassination. Despite DC Comics’ best efforts to recall the issue, the distribution process was already too far along for it to be stopped. Curt Swan’s pen-and-ink cover art, a highlight of Hake’s Auction #210, may be the last remaining piece of original art associated with this historically important comic book. Lot 2021 is unique on several counts and may surpass, by a substantial amount, its conservative pre-sale estimate of $50,000-$75,000.

Original artwork associated with an iconic American record album from the peace-and-love era is cataloged as Lot 3013. It’s Rick Griffin’s original pen and ink and airbrushed art for a record store poster promoting the Grateful Dead’s 1973 Wake of the Flood LP – the first to be released on their own label. The art features a large, open-mouthed crow that “holds” in its talons a pasted-on proof of the album cover image. Discriminating Deadheads and fans of psychedelic master artist Rick Griffin will need to bid at least $6,000 to join the competition for this item.

With provenance from the Robert M. Overstreet collection, the framed original cover art from EC Comics’ Gunfighter #9, published May/June, 1949, is a richly graphic depiction of Buckskin Kid in action. From the pen and imagination of artist Graham Ingels – who later rose to fame with his fantastic horror comic covers – the eye-filling fight scene on Gunfighter #9’s cover promises the reader “Thrilling Scenes Of The Wild West!” The 13.75 by 19.75 (matted) artwork carries a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-$5,000.

The original art for a Frank Zappa portrait appearing in the Nov. 11, 1991 issue of The New Yorker magazine